Improvement in brooms



W. H. PATON. BRooMs.

No. 195,539l Patented senza/g77 WTHvw/mu: www@ i er:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. PATON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ALLEN L. WOOD, OF SAMEPLACE.

IMPROVEMEN'l IN BROOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 195,639, datedSeptember 25, 1877 application iiled February 22, 1877.

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WiLLIAM H. P TON, of New York city, in the State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating toBrooms, of which the following is a specification:

Flat brooms of the ordinary construction, made with broom-corn, areordinarily too limber when new; or, in other words, the broomcorn isunsupported for so great a length that a vigorous use of the broom tendsto demoralize and destroy it. It is undesirable to permanently connectthe broom-corn together much lower down than is ordinarily done, becauseas the broom wears away a freedom of motion of the strands is desirableup to the same point as is now allowed. A temporary fastening orconnection has been sometimes made below the permanent fastenings bymeans of strings or other crude appliances.

My invention is designed as a substitute therefor, and is a removableelastic bridle, with a rigid bar on each side, peculiarly adapted toserve the intendeduse, and equipped with appliances by which itmay beinstantly and conveniently attached and detached. It also allows ofbeing readily changed in position up and down on the broom.

rEhe accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, andrepresent what I consider the best construction of my device.

Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2is a plan view.

Similar letters of referenceindicate like parts in all the figures.

A A are parallel bars or stretchers of hard wood. B B are str/ips oftinned wire, secured to the pieces A by rivets C, and D1 D2 are endstraps which connect the pieces A together. The strap D1 is permanentlyfastened by the rivet O at that end engaging with it 5 but it is quiteelastic. The strap D2 is detachable at one end. Its elasticity allowsthe detachable end to be readily drawn out from under its strap B, andbe again inserted at pleasure. E is a hook which is adapted to engage ina hole in the end of the strap D2.

To disengage my device from a broom, the hook E is drawn out from thehole in the strap D2, and the latter is sprung out from its positionunder the strap B. This allows the bars A A to be sprung apart to asufficient extent by the elasticity of the strap D1, and the device maythen be removed from the broom on which it has been previously used andapplied upon a new one. The construction allows the spreading strands ofthe broom-corn to be readily compressed together, and the whole can beconfined by a ready insertion of the cross-strap D2 under the strap B,and the hook E to be engaged.

I believe that the device may be used with some success in the conditionjust describedthat is to say, without any fastenings. The weight of thedevice being slight, the friction of vits contact, gently compressingtogether the broom, may be sufficient to hold it in place; but I greatlyprefer the peculiar fastenings formed by the stout bent wires G G.

Each is formed with an angular bend near its free end, adapted to bethrust into the edge of the broom above. One hook, G, is engaged in ahole near the lower edge of the strap D1, and the other similarly to thestrap D2. Both are looped to form a permanent engagement; but arecapable of turning thereon, as will be readily understood.

They are bent in such form that prior to the insertion of their angularends into the broom, and even afterward, the elasticity of the straps D1D2 is available to force them in.

|lhe wires G G may be of steel or hard iron, so that their ownelasticity is also available for this purpose.

My device may be shifted up and down upon the broom. In ease any seriousdifficulty is found in shifting up as the broom wears away, the devicecan be opened and shifted up in the open condition and again securedtogether.

The material may be varied. Thus,thefasten ing-wires may be hard brassor German-silver. So may the straps D1 D2 and B. The pieces A may bemetal or other suitable material instead of wood. The metals may beplated or variously decorated.

The bars A, when made of wood with considerable width, as shown, avoidthe liability to cutting of the broom material, to which curing-hooks GG, adapted to serve as and for the purposes herein specified.

3. The side bars A, suitably fastened, and adapted to be secured to abroom, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day ofFebruary, 1877, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. H. PATON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS D. STETsoN, Cms. C. STETSON.

